Instance tips for a noobFollow

Ok, well I'm a lvl39 warrior and have only been playing for a couple months. Lately I've been getting a lot of messages from people asking me to tank with them for the instance Scarlet Monastary. I've been declining all of them because I haven't done an instance yet and I have no idea what to do in one. I understand that I'm supposed to tank, but I don't think I can do that very well.

I am specced for arms and use the whirlwind axe. When playing on my own, I just stay in battle stance and use skills like charge, battle shout, demoralizing shout, heroic strike, thunderclap and slam. This seems to work while playing on my own. However, I understand that as a warrior in an instance, I will generally be the one aggroing mobs and try to keep their attention, but I'm not sure how well I can do that with my current set up.

If I do an instance, what should I be doing? Should I use defensive stance? What skills should I use? How do I aggro effectively in a group environment?

I realize the best way to learn something is by doing it, but I'd like to have at least a shred of an idea of what I'm supposed to be doing before I do it. We all are annoyed by noobs who have no clue what they're doing and ***** stuff up for the rest of the group. I don't really want to be "that" guy. So can you guys give a poor noob a few tips? Thanks. :)

You want to get a one-hander and shield. Get your one-hander skilled up a bit if your skill in that weapon is really low. You should have a ranged weapon and if you don't then go find one as you won't always have the luxury of charging to pull groups in instances.

You use a lot of the same skills but you want to use defensive stance most of the time since you create a lot more threat in that stance. There are a number of shield-based skills that you will probably want to get used to using and you will also want to use Sunder Armor. Thunderclap is good for getting the attention of multiple mobs as well as Demoralizing Shout. There is a lot of good information on this forum about tanking so read all you can.

I'd suggest trying to get into groups for instances that you are slightly overleveled for at first while learning how to manage aggro. It's a good way to practice without being much of a hinderance to a more experienced group. I find that most players are generally understanding if you let them know ahead of time that you are new at tanking.

At your level, the lower wings of Scarlet Monestary (graveyard and library) should be good places to learn the basics. You are high enough for the other two and you could probably manage with a really experienced group with good crowd control but personally I'd wait and get some practice in on the lower stuff.

Few things...
1. Stop declining NOW. Instances only get harder and harder, and people are willing to tolerate mistakes less and less. So I'd do some SM runs (to make it easier to learn at first maybe do a few warmup runs through SM lib). The only way to learn is to do it, and if you put it off until outlands when you get into really hard pulls, you're going to have way too much catching up to do.
2. Be the group leader. It's best to mark targets, i.e. "Kill skull, sap moon, and trap square." That way you only have to hold aggro on one mob (if everyone else is CC'd) and if the DPS is focusing on one mob, you only need to worry about that one and your demo shout/TC should keep adds from aggroing the healer. Although if you have a lot of AoE, you need to learn to tab-sunder to get sunder armor up on all the targets.
3. Learn to pull. One great tip here is the LOS pull. If you have a caster or a ranged enemy, hit them with a ranged weapon then run behind a corner. This will pull them way back and wont aggro adds as easily.
4. Sunder Armor and Revenge are 2 of your high-threat single-target abilities. Be sure to use them a lot (although sunder drops at higher levels, get used to using it now). Forget about doing damage, you got 3 people in your group to do that for you. Although a cleave if you have 2 targets on you isn't a bad idea.
5. Don't break CC! If you have a sheep right on top of you, don't thunderclap or cleave. Move away before doing so. Unless you want the sheep broken.
6. Pay attention to your group. If people are low on mana, wait. That will let them play to their fullest. Also watch if a certain person keeps pulling aggro off you, and tell them to hold back. Or if people are using certain spells you dont want them to (i.e. fear, AoEs, or not putting up CoR on runners).
7. Get a shield.

I think that's about all the tips I can think up for right now.

Edited, Oct 18th 2007 9:16am by skribs

Yes, it really is a good tip.

But, it's not the only way to pull casters.

If you are in an instance, you usually have a mage with you. Have the mage silence them. They will come running, without casting a single spell.

Thanks a lot for the great tips. I went ahead and got a 1h axe (Curve-bladed_Ripper) and had a higher level friend help me get the Aegis of the Scarlet Commander for a shield.

I think the main reason that I am a bit nervous about tanking is because it is completely different from anything else I have done in the game thus far. While playing on my own, I am the tank and the damage dealer, so I am not used to having to worry about keeping aggro off of other people. I'm going to try to do more instances and get used to being in a group from now on. Your tips gave me a better idea of how I should be tanking and I think I will be a lot more comfortable now when I do an instance. Thanks a lot.